WHAT IS 3-RAIL SCALE?

you hit the nail on the head....a very sound definition...conrail john

Sounds like the perfect definition in my opinion.  I believe this should expand the participation of those folks that are working toward achieving the stated goals within the definition. 

Thanks

Alan

Looks like a good working definition.  It would be nice if posters to the new, expanded 3-Rail Scale Forum could refrain from using derogatory terms toward one or another aspect of someone else's modeling efforts, too.  For example, some of us who have chosen to retain the standard 3-rail couplers don't appreciate them being referred to as "lobster claws."  My layout has a point-to-point track plan.  I certainly wouldn't refer to the well-designed and executed layouts of others as "loopy goopy roundy round the Christmas Tree" or some other equally disparaging term.

Hopefully by including the elements of powered and non-powered rolling equipment, scenery, operation, signalling, etc. we can have some good discussion on how all of these elements come together to form a 3-Rail Scale railroad.  It's about a lot more than the couplers.

Count me in!

This is a great hobby (Some say the THE world's greatest) with lots of room for expression in many different ways. This forum (OGR) in general has greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the hobby and I find that my personal tastes have gravitated more towards realism for the past couple of years. Recently I have haven't even noticed the middle rail as 'unusual' and occasionally found myself looking at prototype photos and wondering where the missing rail is!

I think Kadee couplers and fixed pilots warrant a mention in the description.  Also scale wheels

Just cuz they are super-awesome!

Hummm....the OGR WEBmaster could be a distant cousin to Noah WEBster.....

At any rate....good definition for a growing segment of modelers...Tom 

While not explicitly mentioned,

"...to achieve the most true-to-prototype realism possible..."

should be adequate to address that desire.

Just so folks will know:

The description was written by Ed; revised slightly and edited by me; discussed between Rich, Ed, and me with final revisions added; and approved and posted by Rich.

Again, the intent is to make this designation inclusive of those striving to achieve a high level of realism with their 3-rail equipment, layouts, and operations, without including details that would, in effect, once again make things overly restrictive.

There are many ways to approach realism in the 3-rail world, and each approach has its merits as well as limitations.  It's the end result that counts, along with the enjoyment and enrichment individual hobbyists gain in working toward their respective goals.

So that big honking layout built by Tony Lash would by definition qualify as 3 Rail Scale then, correct Allan? His layout is/was head and shoulders above a number of 2 rail scale layouts I've seen.That's what a majority of us would consider as a 3 Rail Scale layout even tho he had un-fixed pilots, tinplate profile wheels and "lobster claw" couplers. 

So in a nutshell, if the layout has a realistic design, top notch scenery and buildings and realistically weathered rolling stock/motive power but you could still plop down an old Lionel 1666E and a string of sheet metal passenger cars on it and run them if you wanted that could possibly considered as a poster child of 3Rail Scale?

Man, I'm gonna have to up my game for my next layout!

Jerry

layout built by Tony Lash would by definition qualify as 3 Rail Scale then, correct Allan?

I've got a DVD showing his layout and I wouldn't consider it anything but a toy train layout packed full of animation.  Nice and big for what it is, but not what Allan said here:

Again, the intent is to make this designation inclusive of those striving to achieve a high level of realism with their 3-rail equipment, layouts, and operations, without including details that would, in effect, once again make things overly restrictive.

Sounds like there's more clarification needed. Maybe I'm missing something, but I hope this isn't the direction this sub-forum will take

I tend to agree with Bob. As impressive as Tony Lash's HUGE layout was, it was simply just too sanitary for me, i.e. absolutely nothing weathered, not even the track.

Thank you for the definition Ed, Allan and Rich!!!! Its well done and I feel that based on it, I am making the grade and recognize myself as a fussy old lady(ask Jim P.) or Type A, take your pick!!!

Good definition. I find my layout to be a hybrid of many types. Based on your definition 3R-Scale is definetly my goal. Little by little I upgrade areas and I imagine at some point my layout will be inline with the definition.  

I'll "third" that. Large with a huge investment doen't make it good.

Sounds like "hi rail" to me; what's the distinction, if any?

Nothing we do here will ever be all things to all people (a futile effort at best because that is an unrealistic and unattainable destination).  We're striving to do our best to make this forum--all aspects of it--as inclusive of the many varied hobby interests in the O gauge world as we can, but there is a limit.  For some, what we try to do will likely never be enough, and I guess my advice to those fine folks would be to seek out an alternative place where they can find more satisfaction.  There's a big world out there!

As originally practiced, hi-rail was 3-rail trains running in realistic scenery.  It was all about the layout.  A postwar scout pulling missile and helicopter launching cars on a layout with Gargraves track, ballast, hills and ground cover was hi-rail.  As defined above, 3-rail scale is about making everything from trains to scenery to weathering to operation as realistic as possible.

Come on guys, this isn't 027 on a nice layout. This is taking scale trains to the next level and making them look as close to the prototype as possible.

nobody wants to wade through threads about "toys vs models " or any of that other meaningless stuff for this sub-forum.  It's all about scale fidelity on 3-rail track. That's basically it. Scale fidelity that has the realism factor. 

Show us some realistic trains and make the eye the judge. I enjoy these types of trains just like many of us do.